Conostegia calocoma (Almeda) Kriebel, 2016

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 151-152

Conostegia calocoma (Almeda) Kriebel comb. nov. Fig. 139

Conostegia calocoma (Almeda) Kriebel. Basionym: Miconia calocoma Almeda, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 46(5): 144. 1989. Type: Costa Rica. Heredia: Finca La Selva, OTS Field Station on Río Puerto Viejo just E of its junction with Río Sarapiquí, SE corner, elev. 100 m, 17 April 1981, J. Folsom 9776 (holotype: CAS!, isotype: DUKE).

Description.

Shrub to small tree 2.5-5 m tall with terete stems which are covered with a rusty mixture of stellate and stipitate stellate trichomes; the nodal line covered by indument. Petiole 0.4-1.4 cm. Leaf blade 4.5-19.5 × 2.5-9 cm, 5(-7) plinerved, with the inner pair of primary nerves diverging from the mid vein 0.4-1.5 cm above the blade base in opposite, sub opposite or alternate fashion, elliptic to elliptic ovate, the base typically obtuse to rounded but varying to asymmetrical and briefly decurrent, the apex acuminate, the margin undulate to undulate-dentate, the adaxial surface sparingly stellate to glabrous, abaxially copiously stellate on the elevated primary veins with a sparser cover on the transverse secondary and higher order veins. Inflorescence a terminal, erect or deflexed panicle 2-8 cm long, branched above the base, with flowers in terminal congested glomerules, accessory branches absent; bracteoles 0.5-1.5 × 0.25-5 mm, linear-oblong, persistent. Pedicel 0.5 mm long. Flowers 4-merous, not calyptrate but flower bud closed and crowned by an apiculum ca. 0.25 mm long that ruptures at anthesis into 2 to 4 deltoid and hyaline lobes mostly 1 × 1-1.5 m the calyx teeth linear-oblong, 1 mm long, the hypanthium 2-3.75 × 2-2.5 mm, densely stellate pubescent. Petals 3-4 × 1.5-2.5 mm, white, obovate to oblong-obovate, apparently reflexed at anthesis, glabrous, rounded to emarginated apically. Stamens 8, 3-3.5 mm, actinomorphic, the filaments 1.5-2 mm, with a geniculation near the apex, white, anthers 1-1.5 × 0.5-0.75 mm, linear-oblong, laterally compressed, the connective not prolonged nor appendaged, yellow, the pore ca. 0.17 mm, omewhat ventrally inclined. Ovary 4-locular, 3/4 inferior, the apex glabrous and not forming a collar around the style base. Style 5-7 mm long, exserted and straight to slightly curving towards the apex, vertical distance from the anthers to the stigma ca. 1.5-2 mm, horizontal distance absent; stigma punctiform, 0.25-0.5 mm wide. Berry 6-8 × 6-8 mm, purple black. Seeds ca. 1 mm long, obovoid to pyriform, angulate and with a densely tuberculate testa.

Distribution

(Fig. 140 ). Endemic to Caribbean lowlands and foothills of Costa Rica, from sea level to 600 m in elevation. To be expected in the south eastern lowlands of Nicaragua.

Conostegia calocoma can be recognized on the basis of its rusty stellate pubescence, short petiolate leaves with plinerved venation and undulate margin, fused floral buds in which the calyx ruptures irregularly, 4 merous flowers, and bright yellow anthers. The molecular phylogenetic study revealed strong support for a clade comprised of Conostegia calocoma as sister to the species pair Conostegia colliculosa and Conostegia subpeltata . A high quality line drawing was provided in the protologue of this species ( Almeda 1989a).

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Guatuso, La Cabanga (Sector Cabanga), Finca de Jose Martinez (parche grande después de cruzar dos quebradas), Kriebel et al. 5484 (INB, NY) . Heredia: Estacion Biologica La Selva , camino al lindero sur, Kriebel 4006 (INB, NY) . Limón: en Playón sombreado y con pedrones del Río Lari, La Quebrada Alto Lari, Jiménez 1910 (CR, NY); San Rafael de Pandora, Rodríguez 861 (CAS, INB); Cerro Coronel, E of Laguna Danto , Stevens 23730 (CAS, MO) .

Figures

Figure 139. Conostegia calocoma. A Branch of immature plant B Abaxial surface of a new leaf and older leaf. Note herbivory on older leaf C Inflorescence with flower buds D Infructescence. Photos A, C of specimen vouchered R. Kriebel 5484, and B, D from spirit material at NY vouchered R. Kriebel s. n. Photos E, F by Enrique Salicetti.

Figure 140. Distribution of Conostegia calocoma.